Chapter 4

The rage in Liam's eyes boiled over. He grabbed my arm, dragging me out of the cafe and shoving me brutally into the passenger seat, not caring whether I could see or not.

He buckled my seatbelt and slammed his foot on the gas.

"Chloe Sterling, do I have to spend every single second of my life catering to you for you to be happy?!"

Every word was laced with pure hatred and disgust.

The car window was rolled down, and the freezing wind howled inside, instantly swallowing any words I wanted to say.

"Liam... slow down... please... I'm scared..."

Flashbacks of the car crash flooded my mind. My parents had been arguing in the front seat. In a fit of rage, my dad accelerated to the limit, crashing into an overturned semi-truck.

My mother had shielded me with her body, dying alongside my father in that horrific wreck.

"Liam... I'm begging you..."

The wind roared past my ears. Liam's profile remained cold and unyielding, completely indifferent to my terrified pleas.

I gripped the seatbelt so hard my knuckles turned white.

Just when I felt like I was going to pass out, he finally slammed on the brakes.

Fumbling for the handle, I pushed the door open, but my foot slipped, and I fell heavily onto the asphalt.

My stomach violently turned, and I dry-heaved, spitting up nothing but bitter bile.

"Chloe... are you okay?" Liam's voice sounded slightly panicked.

I clutched my chest, ignoring him.

"I was just angry. We had a deal, and then you went and ratted me out to my mom. How did you expect me to react?"

I dragged my trembling body off the ground. He reached out to help me, but I shoved him away with all my might.

Liam stared at his rejected hand, his brow furrowing deeper.

"Chloe, can you stop acting like this? You're the one who messed up, so why do I always have to be the one to apologize? Just because you're bl—"

He cut himself off, but my body went rigid.

Tears spilled over my cheeks.

He kicked the car door in frustration, scratching his head as he looked at me with a mix of guilt and annoyance. "Look... I didn't mean it like that."

I shook my head, pretending not to care as I wiped my face. "No, you're right. I ratted you out. I'm a cripple. You're supposed to take care of me forever."

My words set him off again. He let out a cold laugh. "Chloe, I don't owe you a damn thing."

"There are plenty of cabs here. Get home yourself."

He climbed back into the car and sped off without looking back.

I stared at the empty road, feeling entirely dazed.

Was this really the same Liam who had promised to protect me forever?

He used to say he would never let anyone hurt me. But now, the one hurting me was him.

With tears pouring down my face, I pulled out my phone and called my closest friend.

"Ethan, is that voice-over position still open?"

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